by Transantarctic Expedition
8 comments
Tags: horrible place, south pole, explorers
Hi well today is December the 14th 2011 which is a special day in Antarctica, because it is exactly a 100 years since the Norwegian Roald Amundsen as reached the South Pole, he was the first person to do so. It's the centenary year and it's a pretty big thing in Antarctica so there have been lots of special things happening all over the continent today. I didn't reach the pole today, I'm still a degree and a half away and you know, all day my mind has been thinking about those original explorers and what they must have gone through to get to the South Pole. What a bleak and horrible place it must have seemed. To me the South Pole is a place where I can get resupplies, there's people, there's the opportunity for abit of a wash, things like that. But for those guys, the South Pole was just a point on the Antarctic plateau which as it was today, the cold, windy, fairly desolate place, so to find yourself there knowing that now you have to turn round and go all the way back, do that with no hope of rescue or help - that's a pretty monumental thing. I've been thinking about those original explorers alot, and what a shame I'm not at the Pole to join the party ! But hopefully, I did quite well today, 17.5 nautical miles, so if I keep going at that rate it shouldn't be more than 5 or 6 days, probably 6 actually, before I'm there myself. So, fingers crossed, these nice surfaces continue all the way to the Pole and the nice weather holds and I get there within 6 or 7 days.
Hi well today is December the 14th 2011 which is a special day in Antarctica, because it is exactly a 100 years since the Norwegian Roald Amundsen as reached the South Pole, he was the first person to do so. It's the centenary year and it's a pretty big thing in Antarctica so there have been lots of special things happening all over the continent today. I didn't reach the pole today, I'm still a degree and a half away and you know, all day my mind has been thinking about those original explorers and what they must have gone through to get to the South Pole. What a bleak and horrible place it must have seemed. To me the South Pole is a place where I can get resupplies, there's people, there's the opportunity for abit of a wash, things like that. But for those guys, the South Pole was just a point on the Antarctic plateau which as it was today, the cold, windy, fairly desolate place, so to find yourself there knowing that now you have to turn round and go all the way back, do that with no hope of rescue or help - that's a pretty monumental thing. I've been thinking about those original explorers alot, and what a shame I'm not at the Pole to join the party ! But hopefully, I did quite well today, 17.5 nautical miles, so if I keep going at that rate it shouldn't be more than 5 or 6 days, probably 6 actually, before I'm there myself. So, fingers crossed, these nice surfaces continue all the way to the Pole and the nice weather holds and I get there within 6 or 7 days.






Hi well today is December the 14th 2011 which is a special day in Antarctica, because it is exactly a 100 years since the Norwegian Roald Amundsen as reached the South Pole, he was the first person to do so. It's the centenary year and it's a pretty big thing in Antarctica so there have been lots of special things happening all over the continent today. I didn't reach the pole today, I'm still a degree and a half away and you know, all day my mind has been thinking about those original explorers and what they must have gone through to get to the South Pole. What a bleak and horrible place it must have seemed. To me the South Pole is a place where I can get resupplies, there's people, there's the opportunity for abit of a wash, things like that. But for those guys, the South Pole was just a point on the Antarctic plateau which as it was today, the cold, windy, fairly desolate place, so to find yourself there knowing that now you have to turn round and go all the way back, do that with no hope of rescue or help - that's a pretty monumental thing. I've been thinking about those original explorers alot, and what a shame I'm not at the Pole to join the party ! But hopefully, I did quite well today, 17.5 nautical miles, so if I keep going at that rate it shouldn't be more than 5 or 6 days, probably 6 actually, before I'm there myself. So, fingers crossed, these nice surfaces continue all the way to the Pole and the nice weather holds and I get there within 6 or 7 days.







Go girl!!!
Posted by: PETER COULTER about a year ago
Kathryn Collins
Posted by: Kathryn Collins about a year ago
Posted by: Bernard Bast about a year ago
Posted by: Gerald Brown about a year ago
Posted by: Margaret Donohue about a year ago
"This breeze, which has travelled from the regions towards which I am advancing, gives me a foretaste of those icy climes. Inspirited by this wind of promise, my daydreams become more fervent and vivid. I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight...those undiscovered solitudes."
- Capt. Walton; Shelley, Frankenstein
Good Fortune!
Posted by: Geoffrey Scott about a year ago
Im a friend of Spencers and I recently met your Mum and Dad: Jackie and Richard. I would firstly like to say Well done on the trip thus far. The determination and self-discipline involved and your absolute dedication to achieving your goal the South Pole, must be immense. Keep it up! Just hearing your pod-cast, I could tell your a tough-cookie!! Anyway, I hope these snippets of encouragemen help in some small way. All the best,
Alex
Posted by: Alexander Hayes about a year ago
Posted by: Janet Stanley about a year ago